The concept of Skylight London was designed by Interact Branding and Tobacco Dock. Our mission was to create a rooftop bar on the top three floors of a derelict East London car park. We were tasked with the management, production and build of this unique venue, which would span over 16 weeks. We also had to create the overall theme.

We had several meetings, site visits and collaborative sessions with the client to inform our strategic thinking. The concept had to be built over a ten-day period, so we began by organising surveys and taking measurements to make sure the site was fully prepared.

The next step was to think about how we would bring the event theme of a ‘British urban lawn’ to life. Our team led a number of creative meetings, where we decided on the infrastructure, design and overall vibe of the space.

Our plans for the event included a lot of custom-built furniture. We built a bespoke shipping container bar and, due to the 16-week duration, we liaised with a structural engineer to build the pergolas, to ensure they were compliant with British building standards.

The busy London rooftop location called for some careful planning. To lift the major event structure into place, we sourced a crane company and managed the logistics, which involved a 95-tonne crane. Everything was lifted on to the rooftop and we began building street food sheds, vibrant pop-up bars, unique pergola structures and more.

Once this was all in place, we were able to add the finishing touches. We painted murals, built furniture, installed sound & lighting and provided some traditional lawn games, including croquet and pétanque. To top it all off (and to really bring the ‘British urban lawn’ theme to life) the entire flooring of the venue was covered in fake turf.

The outcome

All three floors of this East London car park were completely transformed, resulting in a quirky and vibrant event space. This hidden gem offers awe-inspiring views across the London skyline and has attracted sponsorship from some big-name brands including Blue Moon, Staropramen, Rekorderlig and Laurent-Perrier. There’s more to come, with an extension planned for the summer venue and a winter version in the works – so keep your eyes peeled!